Railway safety device



A. H. SIMMS.- RAILWAVII SAFETY DEVICE.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, I9IG. 1,349,984. Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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A. H. SIMMS.

RAILWAY lSAFETY DEVICE. APPLICATION man JULY 22.1915.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

A. H. SIMMS.

RAILWAY SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULY 22,1916.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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N m RNV hm l l l l l l l I l l i l l l i l I I l llirll AMOS HOFFMAN SIMMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY SAFETY DEVICE.

Application led .Tuly 22, 1916.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos HOFFMAN SiMMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and Stat-e of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Safety Devices, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to safety devices for railway systems and has for its principal object the provision'of means for automatically slowing down a train or stopping it in accordaneewith signals displayedby any of the usual types of block signaling systems.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means to automatically slow down a train and warn the engineer when a signal is set to indicate caution and to automatically stop the train when a signal is set to indicate danger.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of means of a simple and inexpensive character which will'operate effectively, regardless of weather conditions, to perform its desired function and which is of su'tliciently sturdy construction to insure its continued operativeness over a relatively long period.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better un-y derstood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my invention applied to the tender of a locomotive and illustrating the form of trip employed in connection with danger signals;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the trip with a portion of the mechanism carried by the tender; Y y

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

i Fig. 4 is a side elevation, similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the form of trip employed in connection with caution signals; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings,.1 indicates a portion of a locomotive tender upon which the mechanism: presently to be described is mounted'. lt is'to be understood that the mechanism may be applied to the locomotive or to railway cars, the tender being, however, best adaptedfor the purpose. A shelf 2 is Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920. Serial No. 110,770.

secured iu any suitable manner to the side frame 3 and serves to support valves 4 and 5 controlling, respectively, the service application of the brakes and the engineei"s signal whistle when a signal is set at caution and the emergency application of the brakes when a signal is set at danger.

The `valve 4 is connected to an outlet 6 f 'reelyopen tothe atmosphere and to a pipe f leading to pipes 8 and 9 connected, respectively, to the train and signal air lines, which are of usual constructibn. The valve 5 connected to an outlet 10 freely open to the atmosphere and to a pipe 11 leading to the pipes 11 and 12 connected, respectively, to the air reservoir R and train air line. The valves 4 and 5 are normally closed to prevent the escape of air from the train and signal air lines and air reservoir and maintain 'the brakes in released position, the valve 4 being controlled by a spring 13, (Figs. 2 and 4) which automatically closes the valve 4 after it has been actuated to release the air from the train and signal air lines.

The valve 4 is provided with a depending stem 14 to which an arm 15 is secured. The valve 5 is provided with a stem 16 to which'an arm 17 is secured. The arm 17 is connected by a link 18 to a shoe 19 pivotally mounted on lugs 2O depending from the shelf 2. lVhen the arm 15 is moved in a clockwise direction, viewing Figs. 3 and 5, by a trip presently to be described, the valve 4 will be opened to discharge air from the train and signal air lines through the outlet 6 and thereby apply the brakes and warn the engineer. When the arm 15 has passed the trip valve 4 will be immediately closed by the spring 13 so that the train can proceed. When the shoe 19 engages a trip, presently to be described, the arm 17 will be swung upwardly to open the valve 5 and allow air to escape from the train air line and thereby set the brakes. The valve 5 is not automatically closed after disengagement with the trip and, consequently, the train must come to a full stop and the engineer must descend and reset the valve 5 before the train can proceed.

Two separate trips are employedto respectively actuate the arm 15 and the shoe 19. The trip for actuating the arm 15 is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing and comprises an angle bar 21 secured to a pair of plungers 22 slidably4 mounted on guides 23, preferably formed integral with a frame 24, which is mounted on ties 25 adjacent the track 26' and spaced therefrom sufficiently to be engaged by the arm 15 when the latter' moves past the trip. A pair of bell-crank levers 27 are pivotally mounted on the frame 211 and are provided with slotted arms 28 which. engage pins 29 on the plungers 22 projecting through slots 3i) in the guides 23. rl`he other arms of the bell-crank lever 27 are connected t0 a rod 32v which is in turn connected in any desirable manner to the caution signal of a block signal system, so. that when the signal is set at caution the angle bar 21 is raised to the position indicated in dotted.

lines in Fig. 4l, in which position it is in the pathr of the arm 15. Normally the angie bar 21 is in the full line position indicated in Fig. 4 and out of the path of the arm 15. y

The trip for actuating the shoe 19 is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and consists of a housing comprising a fixed lower inember 33 secured to the ties 311 adjacent the track 26 and a member 35 pivotally mounted at 36' on the member 33. The member 35 is provided with an upper surface sloping in both directions from the highest point thereon, so thatV the shoe 19 can ride over the surface in either direction. Pivotally mounted on the fixed member 33 adjacent one end vthereofis a'shaft 37 towhich is secuied a cam member 38 normally held in the. position indicated' in Fig. 2 by a coil spring 39 surrounding` the shaft 37 and secured theretol and to the fixed member 33.' hen in the position indicated in Fig. 2 the camY member 38 holds the member 35 in the path vof the shoe 19 and upon engagement of the shoe 19 therewith the valve 5 is opened', as previously explained.

@ranks 41() are secured to the shaft 37 outside the member 33 and are connected by a U-sliaped link 41 to a rod 12 which is in tui'n connected in any suitable manner to a. danger signal of a block signal system, so that when the signal. indicates danger the member will be in raised position to perform its proper function. Normally the member 35 is lowered and is out of the `path of the shoe 19. Should the rod 42 be broken, the spring 39 will automatically raise the member 35 into the path of the shoe 19 to cause the valve 5 to be opened and thereby stop the train. An auxiliary cam slide 42 (Figs. 2 and` on the side `of the member 35 is disposed in the path of the arm 15 when the member 35 is raised. The valve 4 is, therefore, actuated simultaneousl y with the actuation of the valve 5.

A pair of registers 43 and L14 are arranged on the tender, or at any other desirable position, and are connected as illustrated in operated by ythe trips. A check is thus kept upon the engineer and should it befound Ythat he habitually Vdisregards lcaution and danger signals itwill be sufficient yreasonfor his discharge.

rIhe tripsfor operating the valves 4 and 5 are distributed at intervals along the track and are connected` to a` block signaling sys,- tem of any standard construction. The mechanism carried by the tra-inis similarly connected to the usual air brake system, no modification thereof being necessary other than the provision of connections to. the valves 4 and 5. It will be understood, therefore, that l have provided an exceedingly simple device for accomplishing the. desired result of applying brakes and warning the engineer of caution signals and bringing the train to. a full stop when danger signals are displayed. The flow of air from the train air line may be regulated by ainanually operable valve 45v on the pipe 11.

M 1 device does not necessitate expensive changes in present. standard equipment and is, therefore, capable of broad application.

Various changes maybe made in the form and details of construction of the parts Without departing from the spirit andscope vof the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the forin hereinbefore described being merely the preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim 1. A safety device for. railway trains Acomprising independent 'valves for controlling the train air line, operatingl means connected 'to the respective valves, a trip disposed adjacent the track comprising aixed member, a movable member having an inclined upper face, and means for positively'moving said movable member into the path of one of said operating means,` and means secured to the side of said movable member for actuatin the other operating means.

2. A tripfor safety devices for railway trains comprising a fixed memben'a pivoted member having a sloping upper surface, and an auxiliary cam surface on the sideof'said pivoted member. Y

3. A trip for safety devices for railway trains comprising a fixedmember,r a movable member having an, inclined upper surface, and anY auxiliary member on the side of said movable member and Yhaving an inclined surface.

4. A trip for safety devices for railway trains comprisingV a fixed lower member, a movable member having an inclinedA upper surface, and an auxiliary member onfthe side of said movable member and having 'an inclined outer surface. V

Y 5. A trip for safety devices yfor railway trains comprising a fixed lower member, a movable upper member pivoted at one end to the lower member, means for holding the free end of the upper member normally in elevated position, and an auxiliary member on the side of the upper member at the free end thereotl and having an inclined outer surface.

6. A trip for safety devices for railway trains comprising a fixed lower member, an upper member pivoted at one end to the lower member and having an inclined upper surface, means for holding the free end of the upper member normally in elevated position7 and an auxiliary member extending lengthwise of the upper member adjacent the free end thereof and having a sloping surface on its outer side.

AMO'S HOFFMAN SIMMS. Witnesses:

lVI. A. KIDDIE,

ERNEST H. MERCHANT. 

